Next Manager Odds

Quoted from RichMariner

This is a crucial and difficult appointment to make.

Right now we need a fixer - someone who can lead us to safety by whatever means (even if it’s horrible football).

Then, if we survive, we’ll need a builder in the summer.


.

I heard Slade is free at the moment. But we'd better act quick because he's in demand.

Quoted from Ipswin

He took us out of the non-league eventually and then cupped his ear like he had won the Champions League

What other 'most successful managers in recent history come from non-league' are you referring to? Buckley managed Walsall in the league before he came here remember (and was only at Kettering as Walsall got rid)

We need someone who knows the club and the squad for the rest of this season or, if Fenty insists on jumping in, someone who has had experience and success in the league preferably in relegation fights , not someone hoping to step up from non-league to a 'massive club' (not) like Grimsby Town (we can get someone with non-league experience if we go down!) This isn't the moment for 'up and coming'

I can be argued.that winning that game WAS our Champions League final given the importance!

Slade in his first spell could be classed as successful to a degree, great cup run beating Spurs and narrowly losing to Newcastle in the next round, sitting in the automatic promotion places for most of the season, certainly our best performing season for since 98 in terms of league positions. And whichever way you swing it, we got Buckley from non-league, despite his previous clubs!

We need someone who 'knows the club'  you say... Paul Groves, John Cockerell, Graham Rodger, Neil Woods... All 'knew the club'.... What good did that do them or us?!?

There is absolutely zero evidence that Wilko will be any good as manager! I sincerely hope he's the next Eddie Howe and takes us into the Premier League but for now I'd much rather someone with at least a good deal of managerial experience, whether that be from above or below league 2!

Quoted from TheRealJohnLewis

I don't think you can judge him as a manager from his time with us.  The first season he did very well to keep us up, then ITV crippled the club and no manager would have succeeded with no money.

I think he's an excellent coach and the amount of high profile coaching roles he undertakes backs that up. I think Groves realises this and this is the reason why he happy away from the top slot (an assumption, as I've not spoken to him). Maybe in the future, he will try again to be the big dog, and I hope he does and we get to see him back here in our dugout, but that time isn't now.

The ITV Digital thing washes with me for 02/03 (I doubt anyone would've kept us up) but not 03/04. I do agree about him obviously being a decent coach though.

Quoted from Mighty_Mariner

There is absolutely zero evidence that Wilko will be any good as manager! I sincerely hope he's the next Eddie However and takes us into the Premier League but for now I'd much rather someone with at least a good deal of managerial experience, whether that be from above or below league 2!

There is absolutely zero evidence that bringing in a new man who knows nowt about the squad will be a good manager either

I don't want Wilkinson to manage the club long term, I just want him to see out the season as I believe if anyone can get enough points together for safety its him

Bringing in a new man now would be all done in a rush and may well, given Fenty (and 'Shut Up's) knowledge about selecting a manager, lead to yet another excrement appointment. I would rather wait until May, take our time, see who is available at the end of the season giving a new man a clean(ish) sheet playerwise (apart from the duffers on 2 years), knowing what league we are in etc etc

Please don't rush it John, if anyone can save us I believe Wilko can.

Quoted from Ipswin

There is absolutely zero evidence that bringing in a new man who knows nowt about the squad will be a good manager either

I don't want Wilkinson to manage the club long term, I just want him to see out the season as I believe if anyone can get enough points together for safety its him

Bringing in a new man now would be all done in a rush and may well, given Fenty (and 'Shut Up's) knowledge about selecting a manager, lead to yet another excrement appointment. I would rather wait until May, take our time, see who is available at the end of the season giving a new man a clean(ish) sheet playerwise (apart from the duffers on 2 years), knowing what league we are in etc etc

Please don't rush it John, if anyone can save us I believe Wilko can.

So Wilko loses the first 2 games... Then what? What has Wilko done since he came back to the club to give this absolute confidence in his ability to turn things around?

Quoted from Mighty_Mariner

So Wilko loses the first 2 games... Then what? What has Wilko done since he came back to the club to give this absolute confidence in his ability to turn things around?

So some out of work 'bigger' name (or some lower league unknown) comes in after Wilko's two games on a two year, or even a six month contract, and loses the next two, then what do we do? It could go on and on and on

I don't have absolute confidence in Wilkinson (and I certainly don't have confidence in Fenty and Co to pick the right man in a panic stricken rush) but if anyone knows the squad and can change things quickly because of that more intimate knowledge then its him obviously. He appears to have done intercourse all I agree but how much of that was down to Slade we don't know. I certainly think the players will react to him and pull together.

We're not going down anyway it's a massive over reaction

Quoted from Ipswin

So some out of work 'bigger' name (or some lower league unknown) comes in after Wilko's two games on a two year, or even a six month contract, and loses the next two, then what do we do? It could go on and on and on

I don't have absolute confidence in Wilkinson (and I certainly don't have confidence in Fenty and Co to pick the right man in a panic stricken rush) but if anyone knows the squad and can change things quickly because of that more intimate knowledge then its him obviously. He appears to have done intercourse all I agree but how much of that was down to Slade we don't know. I certainly think the players will react to him and pull together.

We're not going down anyway it's a massive over reaction

While I agree with your sentiments about JF, who would you trust? Judging by the likes and dislikes on this message board , it must be an impossible task to get it right and please everyone.

Anyone who knows me will know that I am very concerned about the running of GTFC at boardroom level, however I do have some sympathy over having to make another choice of manager.
Over recent years the club have tried many ‘types’ of solution. Promote from within similar to the way Liverpool did in their glory years? Groves, Rodger, Woods  are hardly a ringing endorsement of this although going back a little further Dave Booth certainly was.
Get an experienced manager in some will tell you. In the modern game Russell Slade was about as experienced as they come whilst Mike Newell had also a fair few games under his belt as a manager.
Get a younger, up and coming manager? Marcus Bignot seemed like a kid in the sweetshop and not just with a taste for ‘fruitloops’.
The above illustrates that it isn’t just the ‘type’ of manager but the man himself who we hope will make the difference. It really does seem that there is a fair amount of ‘luck’ involved in football management selection given that so many are dismissed as failures within 18 months or so. This is far from a Grimsby Town phenomena.
Looking at the candidates linked on social media, Phil Brown and Stuart McCall fit the experienced selection, Paul Wilkinson the ‘in-house’ choice whilst Craig Elliott carries the flag for up and coming. Robbie Stockdale gets lots of support but I understand he has not applied but would certainly be interested in chatting if the club asked.
I would not rule anyone in, or out, but I would want answers from any candidate to help be see the wood from the trees. Playing style is more important now that maybe in the past, primarily because of the way so many fans saw the reign of Russell Slade. We need a manager who will at least try to play the right way, a passing style but maybe just a winning one for the time being! I hope the board don’t underestimate the value of getting the fans onside for once
I would desperately want someone with serious drive & ambition. One of the things that stood out for me about Paul Hurst was his work ethic. Virtually every single night, he and Chris Doig were out watching games, building up a virtual encyclopaedic knowledge of players. I appreciate he wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea but for me he was always likely to be successful because of the effort he put in and the camaraderie he built within his squads.
Is drive and ambition limited to the up and coming or even a first time manager?  Kevin Phillips, Sol Campbell, Cameron Toshack or Danny Butterfield all fit the ‘first time’ type although Butterfield is a bit left field given his very limited experience.
I doubt it would be feasible to get someone like Gary Brazil? An experienced ‘developer’ of talent who has stood in on several occasions as a caretaker at Forest. This choice would get by backing if the club were to go along with my views about trying to build a DNA for GTFC.  This involves a policy of bringing our youth players through but also getting ourselves known as a club where youngsters released from higher up the footballing food chain get a chance, provided they have the right attitude. Brazil would be ideal in this sort of ethos and his knowledge of the early 20 somethings at many clubs would be really useful.

Maybe the way to go is a younger guy with an experienced head alongside? A Morecambe and Wise or even a Bignot and Slade!!
I think all the above really tells us is that there is no right or wrong. The board just need to do the background checks, speak to people in the game and keep their fingers crossed they get it right, because the wrong choice now could finish the club.
Whoever gets the job the fans have little choice but to support him and I sincerely hope they do. The fans don’t pick the manager and a glance at social media will tell you that neither should they! There are nearly as many names as some clubs have fans. A very, very difficult choice but hopefully not an impossible one to get right with thorough process and a large slice of luck

UTM

By the time we have interviewed all the shortlist we will only have about 10 games to play,

That is too little time to take a punt on a rookie manager,

If Wilko has got us points in his 3 games in charge it might be better to keep with him and see how it goes,

A proven manager with a successful career is a different matter but will he be happy with a 6 month rolling contract ?

I don't envy the board trying to find the right man who will hit the ground running with our lop sided squad ( thanks Slade )

I hope Wilko can at least get enough points to keep us up and him in the job until the end of the season,

Then we can look at how well he has done and decide do we need another man to come in to take us to the next level, ( that's upwards )  

Quoted from rancido

While I agree with your sentiments about JF, who would you trust? Judging by the likes and dislikes on this message board , it must be an impossible task to get it right and please everyone.

Exactly, I wish he'd never sacked Slade (not not really  ) there has been more nonsense, garbage and pointless posts on here about a new manager than there ever was about getting rid of Slade and there will never ever be a consensus  whoever gets the job.

As for who I would trust to advise Fenty and Co on the next man I really don't know, that's the problem with having a board that knows absolutely intercourse all about football. I am totally opposed to asking Buckley's opinion but as Paddy Hamilton, the only director who had the slightest clue about football, is no longer with us we are knackered.

I fear the new man will be a) the cheapest or b) the one whose bullshit at interview convinced Fenty (not difficult judging by past appointments) or both.